Cocktail shaker is a device used to mix beverages (usually alcoholic) by shaking. When ice is put in the shaker this allows for a quicker cooling of the drink before serving.
The cocktail shaker as we now know it was in wide use since the mid-19th century. Several patent improvements occurred during the 1870s and 1880s including the addition of integral strainer mechanisms.
During the 1920s, silver and silverplate cocktail shakers were produced in many different shapes and designs, including items that looked like penguins, zeppelins, lighthouses and airplanes and their use became an important lifestyle ritual.
During the 1940s, production of cocktail shakers was discontinued as all non-essential uses of metal were redirected towards the war effort.
After a brief resurgence enjoyed at the early 1950s their popularity was quickly given away and cocktail shakers were replaced by more attractive electrical appliances.